


Cindereylla

by BatuuPrincess



Series: Damerey Week [6]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cinderella Elements, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Implied/Referenced Torture, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-04 19:44:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16353035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatuuPrincess/pseuds/BatuuPrincess
Summary: A reimagining of Cinderella: Abandoned and raised by a junk boss on Jakku, Rey has spent her entire life waiting for her parents to return for her. When she rescues a small, spherical droid from a teedo, she has no idea how much her life is about to change.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt AU other
> 
> So this was supposed to be posted today in its entirety, but life had other plans. I'll post the remaining chapters sometime next week. 
> 
> Let me know what you think (so far)!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a young girl named Rey. Abandoned by her parents, little Rey was sent to Chateau Jakku in the Kingdom of the New Republic to be raised by the notorious junk boss, Unkar Plutt.

But Jakku was a cruel land and Plutt a cruel master, forcing the child to scavenge in the ship graveyard to earn her keep, her fellow scavengers indifferent to her plight. Rey learned early on that the only way to survive was to find the treasures buried within the trash, trading her finds for the meager portions doled out by Plutt.

And so she lived ration to ration as the years went by, Rey growing strong and capable and _good_ despite her circumstances.

Which is where our story begins…

 

The first rays of sun slanted through the window, Rey waking as they crossed her face. She squinted, the sun already intense despite the early hour. Sighing, she pulled back her thin blanket, the only protection she had from the cold nights, and got up to start her day.

Rey padded across the creaky attic floor, pausing to wrap her arms in the light, protective fabric she used to keep off the sun, the little spherical droid following her across the room.

It called itself BB-8, origins classified, Rey rescuing it from a nasty Teedo just the day before. She had reluctantly allowed it to follow her home, though the droid was definitely growing on her, it’s cheerful binary making her feel less alone as she worked her hair into three buns down the back of her head.

They made their way down the three flights of steps - BB-8 lowering itself step-by-step - and out into the morning sun. A group of scavengers stood in the courtyard, including Unkar himself, all staring at the same spot on the ground.

Rey walked up to gathered crowd, looking over the shoulders of two of her fellow scavengers, Devi and Strunk.

“What’s going on?” she asked Devi, the young woman violently shushing her.

“Quiet, it’s about to start again,” she said, Rey following her eyes to the small holocron at the center of the group.

The image of a man popped up, about 1/8 normal size, his features striking even in the bright blue of the hologram. Rey noted the dark, curly hair, strong nose, and kind eyes, deciding almost instantly that she liked his face.

_Hello. I am Prince Poe Dameron of the New Republic. You are cordially invited to a grand ball held in honor of my safe return to the kingdom. All are welcome at the celebration taking place this Remembrance Day. We look forward to seeing you there._

The hologram flicked off temporarily before starting at the beginning, Prince Poe’s warm smile touching something deep inside Rey.

She was snapped out of her reverie by the sound of a shrill, unbroken beep, the droid equivalent of a scream. She bent down, BB-8 unleashing a rapid string of binary that even Rey was having trouble understanding.

“Slow down, BeeBee,” she said, placing what she hoped was a calming hand on the droid’s dome. “Master Poe? Vital information for the New Republic? Wait, are you saying Prince Poe Dameron is your master?”

BeeBee beeped an affirmative, dipping its dome in the approximation of a nod.

“Well then, we have to get to that ball, don’t we?” said Rey, smiling as the droid began spinning excited circles around her.

“Unkar’s never going to let you go to that ball,” said Devi, Strunk grunting in agreement. “But I bet he’d give you extra portions for the Prince’s droid.”

Rey looked at the woman, stepping in front of BeeBee to block it from view. “The droid is not for sale,” she said, baring her teeth just a little, both Devi and Strunk taking a step back.

“What’s this,” asked Unkar, coming up to the little confrontation.

Rey made the hasty decision to keep the droid’s true identity from Plutt, not knowing how her master might use the information.

“The prince is throwing a ball,” she said, staring in to his deep-set eyes. “And I’d like to attend.”

The crolute let out a hearty laugh, the loose skin on his face and neck jiggling audibly. “You? At a ball? And what would you wear? You’d be turned away at the door in those filthy rags,” he said, gesturing to her grease-stained pants.

Rey held her head high, refusing to let Plutt’s words touch her. “I’m well aware of the dress code. Does that mean I can attend?”

Unkar smiled at her, the look on his face calculating. “Oh, you can attend. As long as you can fix up that Ghtroc 690 before the ball. I’ll give you sixty portions for it upon your safe return. Otherwise, I’m not sure how you’d get there,” he said, laughing to himself as he walked away.

He knew her well. Of course she would fix up the ship and return it, she’d been waiting for her family to come for her for the past fifteen years. There was no way she’d take the ship and run, not until they returned.

Rey looked over to the small shipyard where the old 690 sat half-buried in the sand, her heart sinking. It was in rough shape, and had been for as long as Rey could remember, the paint rubbed off from years of exposure. But the hull was in tact, and she’d bet a portion or two that the reactor core was still functional, especially if Unkar had kept it around all these years.

Three days. That was all the time she had until the ball on Remembrance Day. She could do it, she had a few parts in reserve that would surely work in the light freighter and she was the best mechanic in all of Jakku, but it would be close, especially without any help. 

She was brought back to earth by an inquisitive beep around her knees, Rey kneeling down to speak with the droid.

“We’ll figure it out, BB-8. I’ll get you back to your master, I promise.”

Rey stood up as two shadows fell across BeeBee’s dome, turning to face her comrades.

“We’ll help you, Rey,” said Devi, Strunk nodding his head next to her. “As long as you let us tag along. I wouldn’t mind seeing what a ball was all about.”

Rey stared into the eyes of her fellow scavengers, trying to figure out their angle. She’d been burned enough times to be wary, but with three days until the ball, she wasn’t sure she could afford to be picky about help.

“What do you want in return?” she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Sixty portions sure is a nice payment. Twenty each and a ride to the ball and we’re all yours,” offered Devi.

It was a fair deal, one that few scavengers would offer given the circumstances. Rey looked down at BB-8, her mind made up.

She stuck out her hand to shake with Devi and then Strunk. “It’s a deal.”

 

They spent every waking hour over the next three days working on the ship, Rey trudging up to her attic bedroom for barely two hours each night, the three of them sleeping in shifts in order to protect the ship. She ran out of rations by the second day, her companions sharing their stockpiled portions with her so she could keep up her strength.

And yet, Rey was happy. The work was difficult, but she was good at it, the inner workings of the ship coming alive under her careful ministrations. Between the three of them, they were able to scavenge enough parts to bring the major systems online, all parties working in concert toward their common goal. Even BB-8 pitched it where it could, helping to bring the computer systems back online. For the first time in memory, Rey had true companionship, two friends who laughed with her, worked with her, even looked out for her.

By the morning of the ball, they were all exhausted, Rey barely able to keep her eyes open as she connected the final wires of the hyperdrive, the system whirring as it came online.

Rey dragged herself to the cockpit, closely followed by Devi and Strunk, the other woman seating herself in the co-pilot’s chair while Strunk stood behind her. Rey dropped into the pilot’s seat, flicking switch after switch to initiate the start-up sequences. She primed the ignition, holding her breath as she punched the starter.

The engines grumbled once before roaring to life, the sound of system after system coming online filling the cockpit. They took her up, breaking atmo just to make sure she could do it.

Once they landed safely and went through the shut down procedures, a shout went up among them, Rey hugging first Devi and then Strunk in victory. 

“You did it, Rey!” shouted Devi, grinning from ear to ear. “You actually did it. And with time to spare.”

“We did it,” said Rey, not wanting to take full credit. Sure, she had done most of the mechanical work, and provided most of the parts, and was the best pilot of the bunch, but really, it had been a group effort.

Devi put an arm around Rey, walking her down the entry ramp and into the punishing Jakku sun. “How about you go get changed and we’ll guard the ship,” she said, pointing Rey in the direction of the chateau. “Gotta look your best for that Prince.”

‘“But don’t you two need to get cleaned up?” she asked, staring at Devi’s threadbare and grease-stained trousers.

“We’ll just take turns on the ship,” Devi replied smoothly. “We’re not gettin’ all fancy like you.”

Rey thought it was odd, there was a dress code after all, but she dismissed the thought. Devi and Strunk had proved themselves to be loyal companions these past few days, she had no reason to mistrust them.

Rey smiled at her friend’s thoughtfulness, heading up the three flights of stairs with BB-8 in tow.

 

* * *

 

Prince Poe Dameron sat in his mother’s study, watching the Queen pace from one end of the room to the other, her frustration bleeding in to the Force. She was already dressed for the evening’s festivities, the soft gold of her gown catching the dying rays of the sun as she passed in front of the windows.

“Of all the hare-brained schemes you’ve come up with over the years,” muttered Leia, shaking her head so furiously the gold circlet perched there tilted precariously. Poe stood, crossing the room to stand in front of the Queen. She stopped for a moment, allowing him to straighten the crown on her head.

“It will work, I promise,” he said to the only mother he’d ever known, the woman who, along with her husband, had raised him from an infant after his own parents died in the war. “That transmission was seen in every corner of the kingdom, BeeBee will find a way back to us, I know it.”

She fixed him with one of her characteristic looks. “You’re putting an awful lot of faith in that droid.”

“You and I both know that BB-8 can handle himself,” he said, shooting the look right back to his mother.

“And if the First Order has already gotten ahold of him?”

Poe tried not to think of his little astromech in the hands of the First Order. He knew first hand what they were capable of, having received the full treatment earlier this week. He shivered at the thought, thankful that BB-8 didn’t have any pain receptors.

“We’d know. There’s no way they’d keep that information secret for long. He’s still out there somewhere.” Poe sighed, looking out the windows as if he would be able to see wherever his droid was hiding.

“Only you would think throwing a ball for the entire kingdom with three days’ notice would be a solution to this problem,” she said, a smile in her voice.

Poe was so distracted he didn’t hear his mother approaching until she was standing directly in front of him. She reached up and cupped his cheek, her hand cool on his skin. He knew the contact helped to ground her, the touch giving her a better connection to him. “Have I told you how glad I am to have you back,” she said, a soft smile on her face.

Poe chuckled. “Only about every five minutes since my return, Mother.”

The smile fell off his mother’s face, the change abrupt to Poe’s eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done had you not been returned to us, Poe,” she said, the tears audible in her voice. “I refuse to think about how close we came to losing you.”

Poe pulled Leia into a bruising hug, her soft tears falling onto the shoulder of his jacket. “It’s ok, I’m here.”

He knew all too well how close they had come to losing him. How his own br—

No. He wouldn’t use that word, not for the monster that Ben had become.

It was something he would never tell his mother, the secret shame that he had not only broken under _Kylo Ren’s_ ministrations, but how he had begged for death in the end, all hope lost until a rogue stormtrooper decided he was worth saving.

And he had been lucky. He knew if it wasn’t for that stormtrooper taking pity on him, he’d be dead and gone, discarded like trash by the First Order. The soldier, FN-2187, had broken him out of his cell and put him in the pilot’s seat of a brand new TIE in exchange for a one-way ticket out of the First Order. All Poe had done to return the favor was give him a real name and then promptly crash them both into the sand in some desolate corner of Jakku. He wished he could thank FN-2187, now Finn, but when Poe woke up after the crash, the other man was nowhere to be found. Poe wasn’t even sure if he was dead or alive at this point.

They had found Poe bruised, broken, and more than a little dehydrated, wandering in the far reaches of Jakku. They’d cleaned him up, nursed the visible wounds, and declared him saved, but Poe knew better. He’d only been back for three days, but everything was different, _he_ was different. Oh, he put on a good face - he didn’t want his mother to worry any more than she already had - but something had broken, possibly irrevocably, when Kylo Ren dug around his brain.

“Darling, you’re suffocating me,” said Leia from somewhere around his chest. Poe blinked twice, his brain struggling to catch up with his current reality. “Poe?” 

Poe realized he was still holding on to his mother when she finally tried to back away, the movement jostling him out of his own head. She looked up at him as he let her go, her forehead creased in worry as those keen eyes appraised him. He felt - and not for the first time - that those eyes could read his very soul, though as his father was always quick to point out, _that’s not how the Force worked_.

“Are you sure you’re ok for tonight?” she asked him again, her concern palpable in the small room.

He put on his best smile, an attempt to smooth out the lines on her forehead. “Of course, mother. This is going to work, I know it.”

She eyed him warily but didn’t press. “Ok, then. I’m going to find your father, wherever he’s hiding. I’ll see you tonight.”

She started to walk out of the room, pausing to turn back around as she hit the threshold. “You know, it’s ok if you’re not ok yet,” she said quietly. A lump rose in Poe’s throat. This was the closest they’ve come to speaking about Poe’s torture since his return. “These things take time. I would know.”

She gave him one final look before disappearing out the door, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He walked toward the window, his hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the palace grounds, watching the gardeners prepare for this evening.

This had to work, there was no other option. The droid contained information vital to their very survival. If BB-8 wasn’t returned to him tonight…

No. He refused to think along those lines. BB-8 would be returned to him, the map would be safe, and he could put this entire ordeal behind him.

He almost believed it himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's betrayal leads her to a chance encounter with a stranger. Together they steal a ship to return BB-8 to its rightful owner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick warning: Rey receives an unwanted touch from Unkar Plutt and there are some mentions of slavery

Rey took to the ‘fresher, scrubbing the days of sweat and grease and grime from her skin. As little as she cared about how she looked, she couldn’t show up at the palace — for a ball, no less — covered in engine fluids.

She was pink and shining by the time she stepped out of the shower, toweling her hair dry. She would leave it out of her customary three buns, deciding one was more than enough for this particular evening.

She walked over to the small chest by her bed, opening the lid to reveal a dress of deep green silk. It had been her mother’s, or so she assumed, left with her when she’d been dropped on Jakku all those years ago. The skirt and bodice were shot through with golden thread, the patterns catching the light to swirl across the dress as she lifted it from the chest, shaking out the wrinkles as she went.

She remembered how she used to put it on when she was little, hem dragging, dreaming of princes and balls as she danced across the floor the way she imagined her mother once did. She was convinced that the dress meant her mother was coming back for her, a sign that she had left them both for safe keeping until her return.

She stepped into it now, the dress falling to the perfect length as she fastened it around her neck. It left her arms and back bare, coming in at the waist before flowing out and down to the ground. It was still a little too big, Rey having to double then triple the sash around her waist. She dug around the bottom of the chest for the shoes, a pair of soft slippers in green and gold which she slipped on to her feet.

All that was left in the bottom of the chest was the matching purse and the strange silver and black cylinder that Rey refused to touch. It looked like a handle, but to what Rey had no idea. She’d picked it up once as a child and was treated to a terrifying vision filled with endless hallways, burning buildings, and men in masks, all punctuated by her own screams. Since then, she’d stayed far away from the thing, always careful never to touch it with her bare skin.

She avoided it studiously as she picked up the purse, turning to check herself in the cracked mirror leaning against the far wall. She quickly arranged her hair in a single, low bun, smoothing out the flyaways on top as BB-8 beeped anxiously around her knees.

“We won’t be late, I promise,” she responded with a laugh. “Though I doubt he’d turn you away even if we were.”

BeeBee trilled an affirmative, Rey patting it on the dome before turning toward the door. She stopped in the doorway, something keeping her from going down the stairs.

She turned around, staring at the open chest by her bed. She could feel it calling to her, her feet carrying her the ten or so steps across the room. She looked down at the cylinder with a strange anticipation as she reached into the chest to grab it.

She braced herself for the vision, but no vision came as she wrapped her hand around it, just a soft tingling sensation traveling up her arm. She examined the handle, finding it less threatening than she remembered. There was an opening in the top with something shiny stuck deep inside, Rey’s fingers unable to reach it through the small hole. Rey turned it on its side, finding a button sticking out.

She had her thumb on it, pressing slightly, when BB-8 buzzed at her, Rey nearly dropping the thing as she jumped out of her skin.

“You’re right, we should go,” she said, shaking her head a little. It felt like she was coming out of a trance, her brain moving slowly as she snapped out of it. She gave one last look to the object in her hand, deciding to shove it into the little purse. It just barely fit, but she found the weight reassuring as she took the stairs two at a time. She’d kept Devi and Strunk waiting too long, they were probably anxious to get going.

She was about halfway down the final flight of stairs when she heard the sound of an engine starting up. There was a hitch in the ignition that sounded suspiciously like _her_ ship, but that couldn’t be. There would be no reason for her ship to be starting up without her, unless…

She took the remaining steps at a run, not slowing down as her feet hit the ground and she sprinted through the front door.

She came to a halt in the courtyard just in time to watch the Ghtroc break atmo, the setting sun glinting off its hull as it disappeared, taking all hope of getting to the ball with it.

Shame burned in her chest. She knew better than to trust other scavengers, that was the first lesson of life on Jakku, one she had prided herself on learning early on. And yet, she had thought…

It didn’t matter what she had thought, those two had used her and now she was left with nothing — no ship, no portions, and no hope of ever getting to the ball.

She looked down as BB-8 finally rolled up to her, having taken the steps at a much more respectable pace. She’d have to break the news that she wouldn’t be able to return it to its master, another disappointment in what was turning out to be a day chock full of them.

She watched as Plutt strolled up to her, looking smug as only he could, his various chins bobbing as he walked.

“Looks like you lost me a ship, girl,” he growled out, oddly gleeful at the theft of his property. He was speaking loud enough that other scavengers had started to gather, eager to watch the favorite get taken down a peg. “We’ll have to see how you’ll make it up to me.”

Rey’s heart dropped. “What do you mean?”

He laughed, the sound curdling the meager portions in Rey’s stomach. “Oh don’t worry, I’ll let you work it off. Ten years should just about do it,” he said, a smile creeping across his face.

“But I already scavenge for you,” said Rey, not understanding the glee in his announcement. It wasn’t like she was going anywhere, she had a family to wait for. How was this any different from what she already did for him?

“Ah, yes. But I pay you, don’t I? Portions aren’t free. So, for the next ten years, I own you. All of your finds are mine, no hoarding, no saving, no bargaining” he paused to watch the horror dawning on her face with satisfaction, playing it up for his audience. “Don’t worry, I’ll still feed you, so long as you deliver the goods.” He finished with a chuckle as Rey’s world threatened to spin out from under her.

Even though she was a lowly scavenger, Rey had always enjoyed the relative freedoms of being one of Unkar’s favorites. Better portions, a private room in the chateau, the relative freedom to get her job done, all simple luxuries that she had enjoyed once she’d proven herself useful to Plutt. Now all of those years of hard work were for nothing. She would be back where she started. Worse than where she started, now she would be a slave.

Tears pricked at the corners of Rey’s eyes, the shame and frustration warring in her chest.

Plutt laughed. “Oh, don’t cry, Rey. You still have your pretty dress,” he said with a laugh, a swollen finger tracing the golden thread in her bodice. Rey shuddered at the unwanted touch, hating that she couldn't slap his hand away as she glared at him.

He chuckled at the look on her face. “Good girl. You should get to bed, big day tomorrow.”

With that, he made his way back through the courtyard, the crowd parting for him. The gathered scavengers looked at her with pity before dispersing, their eyes avoiding her as if her bad luck was contagious. It all became too much as yet another person refused to meet her eyes, Rey taking off toward the shade of the house before they could see her cry.

She found herself sitting on a stone bench in the small garden, the soft splashing of the fountain drowning out the sound of her tears. She watched as the water flowed down the carved stone, the cheerful burble distracting her from thinking about the mess she’d found herself in. BB-8 had parked itself at the edge of her foot, Rey grateful for the company, even if it wasn’t technically organic.

“I’m sorry, BeeBee,” she choked out between sobs, “I’ve failed you. We’ll never get you back to Poe, now.”

“Poe Dameron?” came a voice from the other side of the garden.

Rey stood up, so startled by the man’s sudden appearance, she said the first thing that popped into her head.

“Are you my fairy godfather?”

His face scrunched up in confusion. “What? No! I overheard you talking about a Poe. Do you mean Poe Dameron?”

She eyed him warily, BB-8 peeking out from behind her skirt. “Why do you want to know?”

He sighed, his face falling. “We escaped from the First Order and crashed here about four days ago. I’ve been wandering ever since. Poe didn’t make it.”

Well that explained his appearance, the all black outfit covered in dust and torn in several places. Even his jacket looked like it had seen better days, the leather cracked and faded. The man himself was filthy, his dark face covered in sweat and sand.

BB-8 beeped indignantly from behind her.

“Prince Poe is alive,” she said slowly, careful to enunciate each word. “And BB-8 says you stole his jacket.”

“Poe Dameron is alive? That’s BB-8? We gotta get him back to Poe,” he said, grabbing the tops of her arms.

She extricated herself from his grip. “I thought you said you were listening earlier. We’re not going anywhere, I lost my ship.”

“What about one of those,” he said, pointing toward the small shipyard Plutt maintained with his finds. The ships were all in various states of disrepair, Rey normally helping to get them running for extra portions. She supposed that would be part of her arrangement with Plutt now.

Rey laughed, the sound completely mirthless. “And add another ten years to my debt? No, thank you,” she said, turning to leave the garden.

She had barely taken two steps before three of Plutt’s goons appeared out of nowhere.

“We’ll be taking the droid,” said the one on the left, his face covered by a cloth. He made to grab BB-8, Rey swinging in to action.

She desperately wished she had something, anything besides a purse and a piece of scrap metal with which to defend herself as she dropped the first man with nothing but her fists. Someone grabbed her from behind, Rey twisting and using his own body weight to flip him to the ground, swinging the heavy purse at his head when he tried to get back up. An elbow to the face and a well-placed kick took care of the final thug, Rey smoothing out her dress once she was sure he was down.

She looked up to find the stranger staring at her open-mouthed, a look of awe on his face. She rolled her eyes before turning leave again, stopping dead as the tell-tale scream of TIEs filled the air.

“Did I mention the First Order is looking for us?” he said as he grabbed her hand, dragging her toward the where the ships were kept. “C’mon BB-8!”

She pulled her hand from his grip as they ran, BB-8 keeping pace beside them. The TIEs had spotted them in the semi-dark, firing as they rounded the side of the chateau. A fireball rose as they hit one of the outbuildings, Rey throwing her hands up to shield her face.

_If the First Order is putting this much effort into finding him_ , she reasoned as they hit a straightaway, _he must be with the Resistance._

“We should be able to outrun them in that quadjumper,” she said pointing to a ship directly in front of them.

“What about that one?” shouted Finn, pointing to an old freighter that Rey had never actually seen leave the ground.

“That one is garbage,” she said at the same time the quadjumper exploded in front of them.

Her eyes went wide for a second before she changed direction, heading toward the freighter. “Garbage will do!”

They were up the ramp and in the ship in no time, Rey starting the takeoff sequence while Finn manned the guns. She had them in the air with only minor incident (and in her defense, the side of the chateau came out of nowhere), only to be immediately targeted by the roving TIEs.

First there were seven, then, thanks to Finn’s shooting, three, and finally down to one after Rey expertly wound her way through one of the Star Destroyers in the ship graveyard. One final maneuver and Finn was able to target the last fighter, the TIE exploding into a thousand pieces right before their eyes.

A cheer went up, Rey taking them into open space as Finn climbed up from the gunner’s position.

They met somewhere in the middle, embracing and talking over each other, each trying to point out the brilliant moves of the other.

“That was some flying—”

“Nice shooting—”

“How did you do that—”

“I have no clue, but that last shot was dead on—”

“Well you set me up for it!”

“I don’t even know your name,” said Rey, looking at the man. Sweat was dripping down his face, the dark skin of his forehead shining in the overheads.

“I’m Finn.”

“I’m Rey.”

They stood there for a moment, Rey unable to keep the smile off her face as her heart rate slowly went back to normal. They’d actually done it. They’d taken a ship, made it off Jakku, and now were on their way to deliver BB-8 safely home.

That’s when it hit her, the dread slowly creeping into her chest. _They’d actually done it_. She’d taken _another_ ship from Plutt that she had no means to pay off. She’d made it off Jakku, the one place her parents would come looking for her. And now she was on her way to a ball, of all things, wasting her last, precious hours of freedom on a mission to return a droid.

“Rey, what’s wrong?” asked Finn, breaking her out of her dark thoughts.

She put a smile back on her face, hoping he didn’t well her know enough yet to realize it was fake. “Nothing. We’re just not out of the woods yet. Let’s get this little guy back to his master,” she replied.

Finn followed her into the cockpit, taking the co-pilot’s seat as she set a course to Hosnian Prime. It wouldn’t take long, barely an hour in hyperspace, but Rey couldn’t tamp down the fear rising in her gut. She needed to return the droid and get back to Jakku as soon as possible. Everyone saw her steal the ship, but if she brought it back before day break… Well, maybe Plutt would take pity on her.

The next hour passed agonizingly slow, Rey desperately trying to the quell the dread that continued to rise the further they got from Jakku. She was thankful for Finn’s company, his cheerful presence keeping her from completely going under.

She looked at him now, his brow smooth as he watched the star systems swirl by. He turned to her, his eyes kind as he smiled at her. Rey realized with a jolt that she trusted him, despite how little she knew him. She supposed it had something to do with the events of the last hour, a friendship forged in the crucible of battle.

An alarm went off, alerting Rey that they were coming up on their destination, Hosnian Prime coming in to focus as she took them out of hyperspace. She flew them down, making her way toward the concentration of lights at the center of the planet.

Rey held her breath as she flew over the palace, the gardens lit by thousands upon thousands of tiny lights.

She set them down, the ship hissing slightly as she went through the shut down procedures. A light flashed in front of her as someone overrode the entry ramp controls from the outside, Finn looking at her in confusion. They ran to the main hold in time to see an older man in a tux step into the ship, blaster raised.

“Which of you moof-milkers scratched up my ship?” he growled, his hand steady as he looked from Finn to Rey. BB-8 took the opportunity to abandon ship, the man watching as it rolled down the ramp and out of sight. “Wait a second, was that BB-8?”

“I found him on Jakku,” said Rey, her hands raised. “We’re just here to return him.”

He laughed, lowering the blaster. “Whaddaya know, Poe was right. First time for everything, I guess.” He took a step toward them, extending a hand. “Han Solo, by the way.”

Rey’s mouth dropped open. “Han Solo? You’re the Prince Consort. Then that would make this…”

“The Millennium Falcon,” he finished, looking a little smug as he patted the bulkhead. “C’mon, join the party. I’ll send somebody to bring the Falcon home later.”

Rey balked, her heart dropping. “No, no, no, I need to return this ship to Unkar Plutt,” she said, the fear plain in her voice. “I can’t come back empty handed.”

“Whoa, don’t worry. We’ll find you something to fly back to that junkyard. Something worth more than this hunk of junk,” he said, a fondness in his voice. He pointed her in the direction of the entry ramp. “Anyway, my son is gonna want to thank you. He’s weirdly attached to that droid.”

Rey laughed, her worries temporarily forgotten as she stepped out into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr at [BatuuPrincess](https://batuuprincess.tumblr.com).


End file.
